Polish protesters ease traffic restrictions at border crossings, but situation getting out of control - Kiev

MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) - Protesters in Poland have eased the restrictions on the movement of vehicles through the Hrebenne-Rava Russkaya and Zosin-Ustilug crossings on the border with Ukraine, Ukrainian media said, citing Ukraine's State Border Service.

"The passage of cars and buses through the Hrebenne-Rava Russkaya border crossing resumed after 5:00 p.m. Protesters also announced their readiness to allow one truck per hour to cross the border in both directions," the State Border Service said on social media.

In addition, Polish protesters at the Zosin-Ustilug crossing plan to allow five cars to cross the border in both directions once every 30 minutes. One truck will be let into Poland every hour and three trucks into Ukraine every hour.

Buses will be able to cross the border as usual.

The Ukrainian Restoration Ministry, in turn, has called on the Polish government to immediately respond to an incident in which a passenger bus was blocked, Ukrainian media said, citing the ministry's press service.

According to the ministry, Polish protesters stopped a passenger bus at the Rava Russkaya-Hrebenne border crossing. One of the passengers, presumably a citizen of Israel, was detained by unknown persons.

"The situation is already starting to get out of control, going beyond of what a civilized protest is like. There are women and children on the bus. They cannot become hostages to any protest. I pointed that out during a conversation with Jacek Siewiera, chief of the National Security Bureau of Poland," Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Restoration Minister Alexander Kubrakov was quoted as saying in the report.

Such actions have the support of the absolute minority in Poland, Kubrakov said, expressing confidence that the Polish government does not support such acts.

"Their immediate reaction is important," he said.

The passage of passenger transport via the Ugrinov-Dolhobyczow and Zosin-Ustilug remained restricted as of 5:30 p.m., the ministry said.

Meanwhile, according to media reports, deputy director of Ukrainian Railways' commercial operations department Valery Tkachev has called on Ukrainian farmers to divert their shipments to Hungary in light of Polish farmers' attempts to block the rail tracks.

"Farmers' strikes are taking place in Poland. I don't know what caused them, but today they went as far as starting to block shipments by rail - approach tracks, some terminals, and there were even attempts to block a major railroad. We are awaiting a reaction from Polish law enforcers. And, generally speaking, it is necessary to sort out this situation somehow. Hungary is ready to allow these shipments to transit its territory. There is no such problem in Hungary today. That is why, whenever possible divert your flows and continue to export," media outlets quoted Tkachev as saying at an online meeting with Hungarian carriers on Tuesday.

Railway crossings on the border with Hungary are underutilized today, Tkachev said, describing it as an additional opportunity to increase exports and imports.